Manure: Waste or Valuable Agricultural Resource?

February 1, 2020

Manure: Waste or Valuable Agricultural Resource?

By Rick Koelsch, Biological Systems Engineering, University of Nebraska

manure piled

Stories about manure often illustrate two opposing sentiments. Is manure a “Waste” that pollutes our water resources and creates undesirable nuisances for communities?  Or, is manure a “Resource” that reduces the demand inorganic fertilizers and improves the health of our soils? 

Both statements contain some truth. However, the balance of the truth lies in the management choices made during the storage and utilization of animal manures. When using manure in cropping systems,

Help us understand what impacts your decisions about manure use in crop production.

A team of university educators and agricultural organizations would like to learn more about the issues most important to you as you make decisions for the use of manure in cropping systems. What characteristics of manure do you value most in manure use in a crop fertility program?  What challenges do you encounter that are “deal breakers” preventing manure use on some fields? We would like to understand those barriers and benefits that drive your decisions about manure use.

Please you help us answer these questions by sharing your perspectives in a 15 minute survey at https://go.unl.edu/manure. Thank you.

Take the Survey

Thank you from our “Value of Manure” Team.  All partners are recognized in the survey.

Topics covered:

Manure management

Online Beef Cattle Production

Master of Applied Science

Develop an understanding of beef production as a system and be exposed to alternative production practices that may enhance profitability and stewardship.

Graphic of cows in a field.

Explore our full collection of Beefwatch articles.

Explore Articles